Smithsonian Institution, Board of Regents, Minutes, 1850

Summary

• Present: Millard Fillmore, William W. Seaton, James M. Mason, Jefferson Davis, Graham N. Fitch, Alexander Dallas Bache. Also Present: Joseph Henry. The members not present were Roger B. Taney, James A. Pearce, William F. Colcock, Henry W. Hilliard, Joseph G. Totten, Rufus Choate, Gideon Hawley, Richard Rush, and William C. Preston.
• The board met at the call of the Secretary in the office of the U.S. Vice-President in the Capitol. The proceedings of the last meeting were read. The Secretary presented a communication from Mr. Harmon requesting to "substitute a view of another building for that of the Smithsonian Institution in making the drawing, in his style, for the gallery of art." The committee charged with examining the building and making a report on the accident that occurred on the 26th of February made a report including the report made by the architects commissioned to examine the building and the remarks of the building's architect, James Renwick, Jr. The board then resolved that this report and its accompanying documents be "recommitted for such further action as may be deemed necessary"; that the Building Committee obtain legal advice as to the power possessed by the regents, under contract, and what action could be taken "should it be found necessary to declare it void"; and that notice should be given to the contractor.
• The board also resolved to send its thanks to the Hon. E.G. Squier, a U.S. official stationed in Guatemala, "for the gift of aboriginal relics" made by him to the Institution.The board then adjourned to meet at the call of the Secretary.

Subject

• Fitch, Graham Newell
• Mason, James Murray
• Seaton, William Winston 1785-1866
• Bache, A. D (Alexander Dallas) 1806-1867
• Davis, Jefferson 1808-1889
• Fillmore, Millard 1800-1874
• Henry, Joseph 1797-1878
• Renwick, James 1818-1895
• Squier, E. G (Ephraim George) 1821-1888
• Harmon, Mr
• Colcock, William Ferguson
• Totten, Joseph Gilbert 1788-1864
• Hawley, Gideon 1785-1870
• Pearce, James Alfred
• Hilliard, Henry W (Henry Washington) 1808-1892
• Rush, Richard 1780-1859
• Taney, Roger Brooke 1777-1864
• Preston, William C. 1794-1860
• Choate, Rufus, 1799-1859
• United States. Office of the Vice President
• Board of Regents Committee on Buildings
• Board of Regents
• United States Capitol (Washington, D.C.)
• Regents Smithsonian Institution

Category

Smithsonian Legal Documents

Legal document information

• 1850/04/20 Regents Minutes
• Board of Regents - Minutes of Meetings, 1846-

Contained within

Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 1, Board of Regents Vol. 1 (Bound volume)

Contact information

Institutional History Division, Smithsonian Institution Archives, 600 Maryland Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20024-2520, SIHistory@si.edu

Date

• 1879
• April 20, 1850

Topic

• Artifacts
• Architects
• Architecture
• Ethnology
• Gifts
• Guatemala

Place

Guatemala

Form/Genre

Board of Regents

Physical description

Number of pages: 1; Page numbers: 62

Full Record

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